Calmamity:I can see being ambivalent about pho, but getting yourself so worked up that you have to write an opinion column about how much you hate pho? That kind of just makes you a contrarian twat.

Shut up and make yourself a sammich.

To be fair to the author, people can go overboard when it comes to food trends. He's no doubt, being from Seattle where Pho is super-hot for the last several years, constantly pinged on about how strange it is that he doesn't like it. Plus, since the Seattle Times no doubt has a large chunk of readership that falls into the food hipster category, this type of article is bound to generate a lot of clicks and comments.

I've had some awful food that folks rave about as if it's Gods gift to humanity and been around long enough to understand that people will eat dirt and wax all poetic about it.

I don't care if it takes three days to make that stinky, lumpy, spicy main course. It sucks, IMO, and I think you're an idiot for eating it.

Like Baloot. The Asian delicacy found mainly around Taiwan consisting of fetal ducks brought nearly to full term, then scalded to death in the shell. People who love that abomination like crunching on the little beaks, feathers and feet and slurping down the amniotic fluid they were steamed in.

I know folks who like Limburger Cheese and the foul smell of that stuff makes me wonder what desperate soul actually ate it in the first place instead of tossing it in the nearest volcano.

Then again, folks love Pizza Hut food. I don't consider Pizza Hut Pizza to be actually pizza and haven't yet figured out what the meat pellets are and I'm not actually sure if it's food..

I'm also a bit weary of 'spicy' foods. I don't like foods that might taste good, but you can't tell because the first bite sears the skin off your tongue, melts the enamel on your teeth, turns your stomach into a knotted ball of acid and then you get to brag about how, much later, it peeled the first layer of tissue off your anus when disposing of it.

I had a thing of Red Beans and Rice the other day. One of those heat and eat servings. Nowhere did it mention that the stuff was spicy. The first bite burned out my taste buds, stripped the skin from my mouth, cleaned out my sinuses, seared all of the tarter from my teeth and dumped a volcano-like portion into my stomach.

What little taste I got was good -- it's just that not being a masochist, I didn't figure it was worthwhile being in agony to continue eating it.

I've watched big, burly guys wolf down stuff buried in hot sauce, proclaiming how great it is as their faces turned red, they burst out in rivers of sweat, guzzled beer by the keg, their blood pressure soared and they produced a grin more like a death spasm to show others how manly they were.

Eskimos love killed, ungutted, small birds crammed in the fat lined skin of a seal and buried for a year in the frozen dirt to 'marinate'. They munch the buggers down feathers and all and you don't want to be down wind when they do.

Some of the best oriental soups I've had probably took the chef 30 minutes to make 10 gallons. The overall flavor was wonderful, the heat of the spices NOT designed to over power everything else and the separate ingredients all had just the right flavor and texture.

Don't forget now, the 'new yuppies' consider it a wonderful ritual to cook up the placenta of their new born child and dine on it with fine wines and close friends. After all, it's natural since animals do it.Many birds and dogs eat the feces of their young or even their own and THAT'S natural also, but I ain't gonna do it. Elephants have been known to dig in each others arses for a dollop of feces, which they then eat.

Natural also but I prefer not to try it.

Then there's bird spit soup.

I have eaten bulls balls and found them remarkably bland, curiously unsatisfying in texture and the sauce made the meal. I'm not going to run out and buy a batch.

I've had those $5.00 coffees from Starbucks and while good, I actually had better from Mac Donalds for $2.00. A few old time diners (greasy spoon versions) gave me cups of coffee that I'd fight for and slapped down a plate of eggs I'd consider close to the food of the gods.

Usually I figure if the Yuppies and Hipsters like it, I'm probably not going to.

I don't care if thousands rave about a certain food. If it doesn't taste good to me, I aint gonna eat it and I aint gonna promote it.

I've tried some ethnic foods from my ancestry that my relatives raved about and decided they had their taste buds in their arses. Especially home made, old time breads and pastries. (Some of my ancestors never heard of producing a loaf of bread that didn't weigh a ton.)

So, I applaud the author for his candidness. From reading the remarks on the site, almost no one else did.

I grew up in the South, and I despise okra. It's like eating a slimy eyebrow, but if folks like it, more power to them. If you are so worried about what people think about your food likes and dislikes, maybe you shouldn't eat in public. Or maybe get over your damn selves.

Rik01:Elephants have been known to dig in each others arses for a dollop of feces, which they then eat.

Dollop of Daisy will do ya!

On a different note, spicy foods are an addiction (not in the literal sense). The act of eating it and suffering causes an endorphin release and people build tolerances over time. I, for one, have gone a little too heavy handed with the Sriracha before...

Almost every single time, people need to tell me how wrong I am and how I must try it at their place and add just the right amount of Sriracha and not doing this is why I didn't like it.

Sounds like tofu cultists I have met. No, tofu doesn't take on the essence of whatever oils you annoint it with. At its best it is tasteless and slimy and at its worst both the taste and texture are horrid. No, I am not going to try it just one more time because this chef mixes it with dried broccoli excrement and the taste is to die for. Or more likely to die from.

tortilla burger:Pho is not a hipster food. It's very much a working man type of food; it's made with relatively common ingredients, there's little in the way of fancy cooking methods or obscure preparations. And pho is exactly the type of thing you'd eat when you're hung over and need something to pick you up. It really doesn't fit the profile of a hipster/foodie favorite

Enjoying (but only ironically) the best things about working men's lives is the raison d'etre of a hipster.

Rik01:Eskimos love killed, ungutted, small birds crammed in the fat lined skin of a seal and buried for a year in the frozen dirt to 'marinate'. They munch the buggers down feathers and all and you don't want to be down wind when they do.

Heh. I think a lot of traditional delicacy foods surely HAD to have their origin in some sort of "Dear? We're starving. Is there anything at all to eat?" "Well, I think there's maybe some rotten fish left buried in the yard from last year, and maybe some rotten soybeans out in the barn..." "OK! let's try it!" and they didn't die, so hey, it's all good! scenario.

ZAZ:Almost every single time, people need to tell me how wrong I am and how I must try it at their place and add just the right amount of Sriracha and not doing this is why I didn't like it.

Sounds like tofu cultists I have met. No, tofu doesn't take on the essence of whatever oils you annoint it with. At its best it is tasteless and slimy and at its worst both the taste and texture are horrid. No, I am not going to try it just one more time because this chef mixes it with dried broccoli excrement and the taste is to die for. Or more likely to die from.

Your presence at the tofu bar will be sorely missed, I assure you.

Rik01:I've had those $5.00 coffees from Starbucks and while good, I actually had better from Mac Donalds for $2.00.

That is because, god help us, McDonalds serves surprisingly good coffee. Better than Tim Horton's or Starbucks' anyway, that's for sure.

Calmamity:I can see being ambivalent about pho, but getting yourself so worked up that you have to write an opinion column about how much you hate pho? That kind of just makes you a contrarian twat.

Shut up and make yourself a sammich.

No, he's all worked up that people won't stfu and trust him when he says, "I don't like it." Same thing when I tell people I don't like ramen. Everyone is all "WTF? How could you NOT like ramen?"

If I want something like ramen, I'll go make my family's recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup, or I'll get miso.

/have yet to try pho, fiancé wants to take me to a ramen place. I'm willing to try, but yeah, ffs, if I say I don't like something, can you just trust that I've tried it enough times to make an informed opinion about it?

factoryconnection:I figured before reading that it would come down to the writer not liking basil, or cilantro, or ginger, or fish sauce. If you don't like the herbs and spices they use in the broth, assuming it was a place that had good broth, then you won't like the food.

The only drawback of pho for me is the exorbitant amount of cilantro I have to deal with. Basil, ginger, fish sauce, broth, meat, noodles are all great. And then I get to the farking forest of cilantro. Gorrammit!

"I don't like it because it's just bland noodles and sort-of salty broth. Seriously, that's it. I really think you guys think it's much more than that. Yes, I realize it usually has meat and some weird veggies in it, but bean sprouts and Thai basil also aren't that good..."

I figured before reading that it would come down to the writer not liking basil, or cilantro, or ginger, or fish sauce. If you don't like the herbs and spices they use in the broth, assuming it was a place that had good broth, then you won't like the food.

"I really love food. I've been known to get giggly or even teary-eyed when I eat something really good. I can name you plates I've had that have changed how I look at the world."

Author needs to learn to masturbate better

Additionally, even if I really hate something I've eaten, I will try it on at least two different occasions. After that, I give up and move on to better things.Well that's better. It's that kind of thinking that made me take another bite of a Limburger cheese sandwich but jesus, you know, get a life.

I just put Hoisin on the noodles as they are wrapped around the chopstick. I really don't add Sriracha except maybe on a noodle bite, because Sriracha really covers up the delicious broth that is deliciouser by the limesqueeze and greens addition.

When you get to the real Vietnam, you find out how supersized everything is in America. The Pho Tai in Vietnam costs typically just about a dollar give or take about 3000 dong. It's served in a bowl way smaller than would be seen in America. On the other hand, the restaurants typically give you unlimited availability of basil, greens, sprouts, limes, jalapenos, and sauce. And it's filling in the quantity given. Like Seattle, it's available any time of the day, but the place in Saigon near where I stay during summers only serves it for breakfast or dinner, no lunch.

Total loser attention whore. In his own words:"The only reason I have put myself through this experience of eating this awful dish so many times is because of the reaction I get when I tell people that I don't like it."

show me:I first had pho almost 20 years ago and have absolutely loved it ever since. I can understand why some people don't, but it really is about figuring just how much of each additive/sauce you like. Damn, I just ate lunch and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Kanemano:[fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net image 850x637] Pho from the best place in Hanoi, open since 1945, unmatched in the states, cost $2.50

the very first pho place i went to in the SF bay area 10 years ago was a small mom and pop place, $4 pho, very quick and very good... definitely miss it. nowadays i can find good pho for $8, most recently tried somewhere with unusually thick cuts of steak/brisket that was pretty damn good.. unfortunately they botch the spring rolls there, very hard to find a place that does everything well. so yeah, enjoy your $2.50 pho for me man haha

as for the blogger, no one cares you don't like it, your loss, no need to shout for attention with your negative opinions. pho is far more than just salty water and noodles, but if you don't like the noodles or the mix of herbs used to flavor the broth then yeah, you're not gonna be thrilled with it, no big deal. I personally love pho because for such a simple base as broth and noodles, you can completely tailor it to your taste with different types of meats (beef, chicken, seafood, meatballs, etc), different types of veggies (onions, bean sprouts, basil, mint, lime), and different types of sauces (sriracha, housin, chili oil). Most people can find a combination they really like, and as a comfort food it's hard to beat on a cold day. And if that still isn't to your taste, try spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, pork sandwiches, and other delicious options.

Pho is OK, but I'm not really a fanboi. There are plenty of Vietnamese dishes I'd rather eat, really.

I wish I was back in Hanoi right now, in fact. You can get an amazing plate of bun bo xao, bun-cha or whatever you want, plus a steaming pile of nem and a tall, cold beer... and pay like $3 or $4 for more deliciousness than you could possibly eat on your hungriest day.

What is this, some sort of local immigrant snobbery? News Flash! Many Vietnamese fled their country when it was experiencing a gotdamn civil war. They settled all over the nation. According to wiki, Oregon didn't even make the short list of states with the most refugees.

More than sixty percent of Vietnamese Americans reside in the states of California, Texas, Washington, Florida and Virginia.

EViLTeW:It's funny that so many people get stuck on the author's dislike of pho and ignore the point where the reason for the dislike is more related to the crazy-ass pho cult that insists she's just ignorant when stating she doesn't like pho.

I get that, for some reason, pho is to hipster foodies as the iphone is to apple fanboys. Both may be decent, but the cult surrounding them makes them much less appealing.

I guess it depends where you are from, There's just a big asian population here and it's a good food i happen to like. I've never heard this related to 'hipsters' or anyone that talks about Pho like that until I read this article.

Of course i find it really shocking that people will find food less appealing because of other people. I like or dislike something because of my own opinion, Bizarre that you would even consider other people when thinking about if you find that food appealing.

white people problems.that saidseattle has a mad foodie-hipster scene goingand they follow each other like ducklings for whatever the latest zeitgeist ispho will become something else soon, and then that will be irritating

EViLTeW:It's funny that so many people get stuck on the author's dislike of pho and ignore the point where the reason for the dislike is more related to the crazy-ass pho cult that insists she's just ignorant when stating she doesn't like pho.

I get that, for some reason, pho is to hipster foodies as the iphone is to apple fanboys. Both may be decent, but the cult surrounding them makes them much less appealing.

Personally I haven't run into the pho cult, but I am definitely not a fan of the "foodie" set. "oh, you're ordering THAT? You should totally try one of these other 4 things that are also really good here" "last time I came here the chef made it for me special" "you're ordering the same thing you got last time??? you really should have this other thing" "oh can I try part of your order?" "wow this [whatever] is outstanding today, it's better than usual, here you HAVE to try this!" or worse yet "oh yeah this is pretty good but it's nothing compared to [restaurant in some other city] you really need to eat there, the chef is really awesome" etc etc etc and then of course taking photos of his lunch.

Only recently found out from a Vietnamese friend that I've been mispronouncing it for 20 years.

The cedilla over the "o" and the little tail on the "o" makes it a very soft sound. I still don't think I'm getting it properly, but as close as my Caucasian mouth can get it's not "fo" (rhyming with "go") but rather more like "fhaa"

Satan's Bunny Slippers:No one would care if you didn't bleat about it all the time like we're somehow supposed to care.No one cares. Get a job. Fiancee doesn't go to school full time, gets a job. Whatever.yes, yes, I'm sure you have all the reasons in the world why you can't manage that.just stop telling us how poor you are. We don't care.

Then ignore me. Fark does give you that ability.

And I repeat it because I don't assume the same people are on the same threads all the time (unlike you I actually don't care who posts what, and take each post as if it were a completely new person unless there's a trail to follow--few exceptions to this are Tats, randomsja, SkinnyHead, Pocket Ninja, etc.), and the same stupid crap keeps getting repeated that proves people have no idea wtf is actually going on in the world around them.

hubiestubert:So get something you do like. It's food, it's not rocket science.

I grew up in the South, and I despise okra. It's like eating a slimy eyebrow, but if folks like it, more power to them. If you are so worried about what people think about your food likes and dislikes, maybe you shouldn't eat in public. Or maybe get over your damn selves.

factoryconnection:To be fair to the author, people can go overboard when it comes to food trends. He's no doubt, being from Seattle where Pho is super-hot for the last several years, constantly pinged on about how strange it is that he doesn't like it.

hubiestubert:So get something you do like. It's food, it's not rocket science.

I grew up in the South, and I despise okra. It's like eating a slimy eyebrow, but if folks like it, more power to them.

Good analogy. I grew up in SC and I despise okra as well. Didn't stop me from attending the Okra Struts, but no way in heck was I going to eat the stuff.

Oh, and I love pho, but I've had to cut meat from my diet. So - and I'm not trying to be a hipster here - I wish there was a truly vegetarian version that tasted as good as the beef version. I doubt there is.

another cultural observer:Satan's Bunny Slippers: Peki: LandOfChocolate: At least you get the choice of what noodles you would like, or dislike for dinner. I doubt the prisoners you are so jealous of, are so lucky

Maybe if I could afford it.

/seriously people, what part of "0 income" don't you get? The fiancé is a full-time musician at school, we get $100 a week to live off, and half of that goes to gas. Fark off.

No one would care if you didn't bleat about it all the time like we're somehow supposed to care.

No one cares. Get a job. Fiancee doesn't go to school full time, gets a job. Whatever.

yes, yes, I'm sure you have all the reasons in the world why you can't manage that.

just stop telling us how poor you are. We don't care.

So poor...to be typing on a computer and apparently having the internet access. Unless it's a shared computer used in a free wifi starbucks (which poors shouldn't be able to afford anyway. Get some Wal-Mart-brand Dehydrated Coffee, that's at least a prudent use of public funds)

apparently free iPad he got from some survey deal. I'm just tired of every single thread coming around to listening how poor the poster is. So poor that he's considering committing a crime so that he can be housed where they get better food, healthcare, living conditions, etc that he has at the moment.

I don't really care about pho. Never had a preference. I've had OK and I've had Bertie Bot's Vomit Flavored Pho. It is soup, a blender away from being a smoothie.

I live in the PNW and I agree with one point: what is the big ass deal with it? Here in B'ham, we have pho and bubble tea on nearly as many corners as coffee shops (though that is rapidly shifting to Mexican food restaurants). I exaggerate for clarification, but seems like there are some shady former houses that sell pho around town.

Satan's Bunny Slippers:Peki: LandOfChocolate: At least you get the choice of what noodles you would like, or dislike for dinner. I doubt the prisoners you are so jealous of, are so lucky

Maybe if I could afford it.

/seriously people, what part of "0 income" don't you get? The fiancé is a full-time musician at school, we get $100 a week to live off, and half of that goes to gas. Fark off.

No one would care if you didn't bleat about it all the time like we're somehow supposed to care.

No one cares. Get a job. Fiancee doesn't go to school full time, gets a job. Whatever.

yes, yes, I'm sure you have all the reasons in the world why you can't manage that.

just stop telling us how poor you are. We don't care.

So poor...to be typing on a computer and apparently having the internet access. Unless it's a shared computer used in a free wifi starbucks (which poors shouldn't be able to afford anyway. Get some Wal-Mart-brand Dehydrated Coffee, that's at least a prudent use of public funds)

factoryconnection:Yeah, considering that most pho places also have banh mi, and if you don't like banh mi I don't know what you're looking for in life.

I had my first bahn mi last week. From Cafe Recess on Capitol Hill. (Yeah, I'm naming names.) First bite was "Interesting mix of flavors, nice roll." Second was "Yeah, I can get down with...what's that?!?" I pulled from my mouth a rubbery, gelatinous bolus of pork fat, still cold from the fridge. "Oh well, set that aside, still tastes pretty good."

Third bite was worse, a bigger, damper hunk of fat that oozed gelid pus-like fluid. I gagged. I pulled it out of my mouth, tore the sandwich open, and every slice of pork in it was the same: post-it note-sized slabs of thick fat with a strand or two of meat only about as wide as a #2 pencil, the red jambon was only marginally better. I tossed it in the trash.

I will give it another shot at a different location, because they are springing up all over the city, so there must be something to it.

No Such Agency:That is because, god help us, McDonalds serves surprisingly good coffee. Better than Tim Horton's or Starbucks' anyway, that's for sure.

If you want HOT coffee, sure. I only wish they made straight black normal iced coffee too, but the one near me only has some pre-mixed milk and sugar-laden sweet beverage that I definitely Do Not Want.

exick:factoryconnection: I figured before reading that it would come down to the writer not liking basil, or cilantro, or ginger, or fish sauce. If you don't like the herbs and spices they use in the broth, assuming it was a place that had good broth, then you won't like the food.

The only drawback of pho for me is the exorbitant amount of cilantro I have to deal with. Basil, ginger, fish sauce, broth, meat, noodles are all great. And then I get to the farking forest of cilantro. Gorrammit!

That is because, god help us, McDonalds serves surprisingly good coffee. Better than Tim Horton's or Starbucks' anyway, that's for sure.

Agreed. And the fact the McDs has some really damn good coffee scares me. Better than anything else on my drive to work; Dunkin Donuts and the gas station. I usually make coffee at home, but sometimes for a once every couple months treat I don't pack coffee, breakfast or lunch and just wing it. There is an awesome coffee shop that roasts their own on the way to work, but they are hard to get in and out of (drive all the way around the block, turn in sort of crosswise to the entrance to a dry cleaner, then up the block to where you can park), they don't open till 6:30 (when I usually am already at work), and it's worth it but waiting 10 mins on your brewed (dripped?) by the cup drip coffee just adds to my late arrival at work. And the coffee and a fresh croissant is $10. I save that place for special saturday mornings, preferably rainy. They have free wifi for customers and a really comfy set of couches.

EvilEgg:I get where the author is coming from. I have heard of pho, but I have never actually eaten it. From the people who talk about it, I expect to emulate Meg Ryan in her famous diner scene if I ever get around to eating it.

Its really not "that" great. What I love about it is simply that its super cheap. Imagine if you will ramen noodles made at home (well except these are rice noodles), with some cheap flank stake thrown in and some herbs. Nothing special at all, but its filling and super cheap, perfect college food.

wee:I lived in a predominately Asian community for a long time. There was pho everywhere. It's kinda "meh". Better than the ramen or whatever people try to pass off as pho in non-Asian places, sure, but it's nothing I'd go out of my way to eat. It's rice noodles in broth with herbs added, after all.

Outside of picking up a tinge of atypical "white suburbia congratulating itself for eating 'ethnic' food" from some angles, I really don't hear that much profound love for pho's taste.

I love it because it's a huge, filling bowl of soup for only five bucks.

Now, the pho joints that also make and serve the real Bánh mì, (a sandwich which is somewhat hilariously the biggest indicator Vietnam was a French colony at one point) are real good.

Via Infinito:hubiestubert: So get something you do like. It's food, it's not rocket science.

I grew up in the South, and I despise okra. It's like eating a slimy eyebrow, but if folks like it, more power to them. If you are so worried about what people think about your food likes and dislikes, maybe you shouldn't eat in public. Or maybe get over your damn selves.

If it's that slimy, it's overcooked. Blanch the whole pod for 3-4 minutes, drain, slice, mix with tomatoes and onions, cook until everything is tender...that's good eatin'. But yeah, overcooked okra is nasty.

Pho is not a hipster food. It's very much a working man type of food; it's made with relatively common ingredients, there's little in the way of fancy cooking methods or obscure preparations. And pho is exactly the type of thing you'd eat when you're hung over and need something to pick you up. It really doesn't fit the profile of a hipster/foodie favorite

exick:The only drawback of pho for me is the exorbitant amount of cilantro I have to deal with. Basil, ginger, fish sauce, broth, meat, noodles are all great. And then I get to the farking forest of cilantro. Gorrammit!

I can see how that would be irritating, especially for people that perceive cilantro as tasting like soap. My favorite places for it give a bowl of broth and a plate with piles of noodles, meat, and the veggies. Completely-customized soup. Pho is the most humble of breakfast foods, and the humble shops let the customer do the work for ideal taste.

Dollar-for-dollar I can't think of a better lunch than Pho. The closest place to my office hands over a bowl so laden with meat, noodles and fresh veggies I need two hands to carry and I get change back from a $5.

I actually have had a different experience. Yeah, pho is really popular and ubiquitous in Seattle, so you're going to have it eventually whether you want to try it or not. My first couple times I didn't exactly dislike it, but I didn't see what all of the fuss is about. Once you get the hang of how much of the sauces and whatnot you add though... It's actually really good. Maybe it's an acquired taste thing.

Maybe I'm just desperately trying to fit in with a foodie culture I don't fully understand by forcing myself to like what everyone else seems to like, without realizing that nobody actually likes pho and everybody in this city is just trying to impress each other with their foodie-ness.

I get where the author is coming from. I have heard of pho, but I have never actually eaten it. From the people who talk about it, I expect to emulate Meg Ryan in her famous diner scene if I ever get around to eating it.